Catamarans, or just cats, are becoming increasingly popular in leisure tourism. However this sailing catamaran is favored for its layout, cabins, easy sailing, and weave-friendliness, and passengers won't have motion sickness while traveling in catamarans for a long time.
What is Catamaran?
The simplest definition of a catamaran is a boat with two hulls. The word "Catamaran" is derived from the Tamil word "kattumaram," which means "logs linked together." The original versions of these structures were used for fishing. Far from their primitive origins, modern catamarans are typically made of fiberglass or carbon fiber, have two hulls connected by a bridge deck, and are created in a variety of sizes and for a variety of purposes.
Today, catamaran manufacturers design them with durable materials. The traditional catamaran is made of tying two-piece wooden logs. This is why it is called a catamaran, or a bunch of woods tied together.
Types of Catamaran:
There are two types of catamarans described below in terms of their design, size, and shape.
Sailing Catamarans
The development of sailing catamarans has advanced significantly in recent years. Small day sailing cats are well-liked as they offer a secure and straightforward learning environment, and can be seen fleets of them in resorts where guests with little to no sailing experience utilize them. These little cats are often made of roto-molded plastic or fiberglass, and as they normally lack auxiliary motors, they rely solely on sailing for power.
Distance cruising and bareboat chartering are now dominated by larger sailing cats. Today, almost all bareboat charter firms with a tropical base offer more sailing catamarans than monohulls, and those percentages are rising in multiple places. In order to move, charter cats typically have two engines, one in each hull, as well as a mast that holds a mainsail and maybe a headsail or two.
Power Catamarans
Power catamarans, often known as "multi-hull power boats" or "power cats," are larger than their sailing-related relatives and lack masts and sails. They can reach higher top speeds due to their larger motors, but these cats also need to be strengthened hulls to support the weight and power of these engines. Motorized cats are the area of the boating market that is expanding the fastest, followed by pontoon boats (which are debatably also power cats).
Power cats come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Larger power cat brands are emerging in bareboat charter and as cruising platforms, while numerous smaller ones are promoted for fishing. Due to their cabin space and speed, several commercial passenger ferries have also adopted the catamaran design.
Advantages of Catamaran Boats
Boats with several hulls (Catamarans) have a number of inherent benefits, such as:
- More deck and interior space per foot compared to monohulls
The space on a catamaran is around 1.2 times that of a monohull. In other words, the deck and internal space on a 40-foot cat should be equivalent to those on a 50-foot monohull. Even in a ship under 40 feet in length, cats have up to four cabins, thus they also have more internal space.
- Cats have more stability while underway and at rest in rolly anchorages due to the two hulls that are widely spaced apart in their construction
Cats stay level, making them safer and simpler for people and pets to maneuver on the flat deck than monohulls, which can heel under sail or roll when driven. Some claim that cats move more easily than monohulls and cause less seasickness.
- As cats have dual engines, their propellers are spaced far apart, giving these boats remarkable maneuverability
Cats can float in shallower waters as well, particularly sailing cats without deep keels. Even with two engines, cats consume 20 to 30 percent less gasoline on average as they don't drag a heavy keel through the water.
- The equipment inventory of larger, more advanced power and sailing catamarans naturally incorporates redundancy, which translates to comfort and safety
For instance, if a freshwater pump in one hull breaks down, there is typically another to supply water for dishwashing. There are backup engines in case an engine or propeller fails, allowing the ship to return to port without incident. Additionally, there is greater space for the installation of new equipment, such as battery banks, watermakers, generators, and more.
Conclusion
In the USA and Europe, catamarans are produced in large quantities close to waterfronts. Cruise ships and passenger boats are being produced for commercial purposes. However, there is now a desire for custom design due to the demand from the tourism industry and related industries. With private cabins, minibars, and other bathroom amenities, they are highly preferred for luxury travel.
